5 tips for charities to get the most from social media

With the current trend of all things online, charities are urged to have a strong social media presence. This creates a relationship with supporters which is unattainable through other forms of communication, consequently raising more money and awareness. A blog post for Mashable brings together the five essential social media tips for charities to consider when promoting their cause:

Social media is a two-way conversation. Rather than posting a photo online and leaving it to speak for itself, engage with your followers. Listen to their feedback and involve them in any decisions or upcoming campaigns. This keeps it personal, reassuring followers that their support is important to you.

Keep posts regular. There’s nothing worse than a barren Facebook or Twitter page. Keep your pages current and relevant. This might mean putting a social media plan in place; ensuring channels are checked regularly and comments are replied to.

Inject some personality. People don’t want to feel like they are conversing with a robot; inject some fun and vibrancy into your posts or tweets.

Ask people to share your posts. This will allow your charity to reach a wider audience and gain more supporters. Videos and photos are most likely to be shared.

Formalise social media activity. Put social media on the whole organisations to-do list. This might involve creating a social media policy to ensure consistency among employees.